Special Features

1. Soapy Smith

Public Domain

The most well-known outlaw in Alaskan history, Jefferson Smith found a niche as a con man and made an easy fortune through a number of schemes -- especially a soap con that earned him the nickname of “Soapy.” Having perfected his sneaky ways in Texas and Colorado, “Soapy” Smith arrived in Alaska in 1897 where he opened a phony telegraph center and a saloon, all while paying off Skagway’s deputy U.S. Marshal regularly. After ripping off miner John Douglas Stewart , “Soapy” Smith met his end during the famous Shootout on Juneau Wharf on July 8, 1898, in a confrontation with Frank Reid and his vigilantes.

This article is sponsored in part by Alaska State Troopers, premiering January 9th on the National Geographic Channel (What's this?)